The Church and Its Importance

 Bible Reading:  I Timothy 3

Key Verse: Verse 15 – “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

Key Words: the pillar and ground of the truth

Have you ever considered the importance of a Bible-believing, Bible-practicing local church?  Now before you read on, give some thought to the question which has been posed to you.  Have you ever considered the importance of a Bible-believing, Bible-practicing local church?  

Let me give you two reasons the church is of extreme importance.

First of all, the local church is the pillar and ground of the truth.  I Timothy 3:15, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

Now, that’s pretty powerful language!  A pillar supports a structure and the ground supports the pillar.  The principle is that the local church is responsible for holding up truth, God’s Word (John 8:31-32; John 17:17).

Now, while I have deep appreciation and admiration for some para-church organizations, we all need to realize the supremacy of the local church.

Secondly, the church is important because Christ and the church are uniquely tied together.  In Acts 9:4 we read, “...Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”  Someone has asked, how could Saul be persecuting Christ when he had already ascended up to heaven?  The answer is, because Christ is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18).

A little girl watching a regiment of soldiers marching down the street, turned to her mother as the last section of the band went past and asked, “What are soldiers for if they can’t play?”  The child had lost sight of the real role of a soldier.  A soldier is not for playing but for protecting.  Today many look at the church the way the little girl looked at the soldiers and they feel as though the church is for playing.  The church is not a playground, but a battleground holding up the truth of God’s Word.

So let me ask, “Are you a part of a church because of its fun or because it is a foundation for the truth?”

 

What to do:

✞Be a part of a church that upholds the truth of God’s Word.